Free radical polymerization processes are generally chemically less sensitive than anionic processes to impurities in the monomers or solvents typically used and are substantially or completely insensitive to water. The present invention provides product polymer with a photoactive functional group on at least one end which can be used for further reaction to prepare other polymers. The present invention provides polymerization processes that enable control of polymer molecular weight, modality of the products, and the like properties. High molecular weight (HMW) and ultra-high molecular weight (UHMW) are fundamental factors enhancing the physical properties and the ability of introducing multi-functional groups in polymers to be used in diverse applications. The incredibly long molecular chain allows a host of exceptional attributes such as excellent balance of optical and mechanical characteristics, such as impact chemical and abrasion resistance and optical clarity in the said acrylic polymers.
It is difficult or impossible to polymerize certain monomers and to copolymerize various combinations of monomers in a controlled manner to attain polymers of the desired high and ultra-high molecular weight. For instance, the molecular weight of polymers made by free radical polymerization is generally inversely proportional to the amount of free radical initiator used to initiate the polymerization. However, at the low levels of initiator that are needed to attain high and ultra-high molecular weight polymers controlling the ultimate molecular weight of the polymer becomes increasingly more difficult and in many cases it is impossible to attain desired molecular weights. In addition to attaining desired molecular weight, tacticity control, the synthesis of polymers having pseudo-block type architecture and other parameters, such as scalability, are also frequently very important.